VMRO-DPMNE deputy leader Aleksandar Nikoloski believes that Stevo Pendarovski’s election as President was a Pyrrhic victory for the ruling coalition, which had to compound all political parties, including votes from the Albanian opposition to beat Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova supported mainly by VMRO-DPMNE.

The Government won, but in reality it was defeated. This is the beginning of the end of Zoran Zaev, SDSM, DUI and their entire Government. On the one side we had a candidate supported by all parties from the Government, including the Albanian ones, and on the other side there was Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova, supported by VMRO-DPMNE and the majority of the Macedonian people. The Government decided to again violate the conventions inter-ethnic harmony relies on, and to propose a candidate who would monopolize the lion’s share of Albanian votes. That’s a bad message, a frustrating message, a message which especially frustrates the Macedonian people, which constitutes the majority in this country, and frustrates the people in the majority of municipalities, where Siljanovska – Davkova won. It also frustrates those who want to see Macedonia as a functional and harmonious multi-ethnic state because the message that was sent was that the votes are diverted based on a political deal, and that voters are not allowed to decide on their own, Nikoloski writes in an editorial, describing the electoral outcome where Siljanovska won the majority of the Macedonian votes across the country, but a near-unanimous vote by ethnic Albanians for Stevo Pendarovski swung the election in his favor.

Nikoloski also accuses the ruling Albanian party DUI of spending years to portray VMRO-DPMNE as a party which is the enemy of the Albanian people, in order to disguise its own corruption and nationalism.

As for Zaev, Nikoloski says that he is clearly attempting to destroy the largest opposition party.

This is a totalitarian mindset, alien in a democratic society. We know his desire for power and money, which he attempts to cover up with a political persecution of the opposition. Although VMRO-DPMNE is exposed to fierce persecution and assaults, even though our property is frozen and is deprived of funds, VMRO-DPMNE emerged victorious from the elections. Victorious because there was not a single public sector director or minister who didn’t pressure and intimidate his employees to vote for Stevo Pendarovski. The poor were offered money to vote for Stevo Pendarovski, to sell their souls. These money come from the corruption which is spreading everywhere. And yet this Government lost its legitimacy to carry on, and in June Macedonia will also lose the expected date to open EU accession talks. After that the Government will have lost all its legitimacy. We need early general elections as soon as possible to remove this Government and begin to bring Macedonia back to normal, Nikoloski writes.